That looks ideal for weaklings like me. It would mean no alteration to the hives, or permanent hoist on the ute or anything, and especially good for when my offsider is crook. And you don't have to get the ute right to the site, you can wheel hives in. How does it work? What's the cost?

It works quite well, the lifting mechanism is geared so it simply wind up or down and it locks it in when the crank handle is not moved. It's rated too 100 kilos but it will do up to 150 comfortably. Due to the centre of gravity the trolley with hive can be lifted and moved onto the ute tray. It lifts up to 1000mm. My ute tray is 900mm off the ground.

The only problem is the price! This is one of the cheaper heavy duty units around and it was $1190 including gst.

I've been seriously thinking of buying that lifter, maybe around mid year. Could I manage it by myself? No chance of toppling if you stand in front of it to slide the hive on?

Anyway, I have the dubious issue that the fellows want to make me one instead. But I'd need clear photos or plans for them to follow. If it's not too much trouble, could you possibly take a few photos of the mechanism and tray and maybe a few measurements?

A couple of them won't go near the bees, but I was at work the last few days and they can't sit still, they had to construct another hive stand and a few entrance closers. A project like that will at least keep them off the street for a couple of days.

As I am still buying equipment and expanding I don't have the money to buy a motorized lifter, I am going to take an old lifter and buy a puncture free wheel and get a friend to weld it together so it like this one http://www.lpsbiodling.se/sv/artiklar/redskap/kupkarra-rod.html I think one wheel will be easier in uneven terrain.

I am trying to minimize the lifting I do and will bee using a bee blower and a lift that I will use to transport the supers from the hive to a trailer, off the trailer into the extraction house.